Maria’s Retreat

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What's Moss?

Her garden began as a defensive measure. “I started raking leaves to keep things neat so I wouldn’t step on animals,” she remembers. “I also watered the ground to keep down dust. Pretty soon, I had green dirt, and somebody came over and said, ‘You’re gonna have moss!’ And I said, ‘Moss? What’s moss?’”

It didn’t take long to find out. Moisture from springs and shade from hardwoods combined with newly exposed soil to generate perfect conditions for moss. Lush, soft moss soon carpeted paths, dripped off rocks, and plastered fallen trees.